Australia's rodents

Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds.

Photos:Australia's rodents

The Hastings River mouse is rat-size in adulthood. This nocturnal rodent lives in upland forests.

Hide Caption

1 of 8

Photos:Australia's rodents

The New Holland mouse, which is similar in size and appearance to the house mouse, inhabits open heathlands, woodlands and forests.

Hide Caption

2 of 8

Photos:Australia's rodents

The Western chestnut mouse, a nocturnal animal that weighs just a couple of ounces in adulthood, can be found in grasslands and on sandy soils.

Hide Caption

3 of 8

Photos:Australia's rodents

The sandy inland mouse lives on seeds and the occasional green plant in the arid and semi-arid zones of inland Australia.

Hide Caption

4 of 8

Photos:Australia's rodents

The northern short-tailed mouse, a nocturnal species with a shorter than usual tail, is sparsely distributed across Australia.

Hide Caption

5 of 8

Photos:Australia's rodents

The plains rat, which mainly feeds on seeds, lives among grasslands and low shrublands.

Hide Caption

6 of 8

Photos:Australia's rodents

The fawn hopping mouse, which inhabits the arid Australian outback, has elongated hind legs and feet, allowing it to hop rapidly.

Hide Caption

7 of 8

Photos:Australia's rodents

Water rats have partially webbed hind-feet, water-repellent fur and abundant whiskers. They occupy freshwater habitats such as streams and lakes, where they feed on crustaceans, aquatic insects and fish.

Hide Caption

8 of 8

These native Australian rats and mice descended from rodents that journeyed to the continent from Southeast Asia millions of years ago.